Pratyusha suicide case: Rahul Singh's bail plea rejected

PTI | Mumbai
|
April 07, 2016

(File) A few of Pratyusha's friends, who claimed to have evidence against Rahul, had earlier recorded their statements with the police

The anticipatory bail plea of TV producer Rahul Raj Singh, booked for abetment of his girlfriend actress Pratyusha Banerjee's suicide, was on Thursday rejected by a local court after the prosecution said it could be a "pre-planned murder".

Dindoshi sessions court Judge Khwaja Farooq Ahmed dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Rahul, who was booked for abetment of suicide after Pratyusha's parents filed a compliant against him.

When the matter came up for hearing in the court, prosecution lawyer Falguni Brahmbhatt said, "We suspect that it could be murder and it needs to be probed. The entire incident could be pre-planned."

She argued as to why Rahul took Pratyusha all the way to Andheri (from their residence in suburban Goregaon after she was found hanging), instead of a nearby hospital. She also sought to know why he later fled from the hospital.

"Why didn't Rahul call police or take picture of the body before untying it from the fan," she further asked.

Arguing for Rahul, his counsel Samir Sheikh said Pratyusha's parents did not make any allegation against him in their first statement to police, then why did they file the FIR later.

He also said Pratyusha didn't leave a suicide note blaming Rahul for her death, and also there were no marks on her body other than the ligature wound.

Following both the arguments, the judge rejected Rahul's anticipatory bail application.

On April 1, the 24-year-old actress, who shot to fame for her role as Anandi in hit TV series "Balika Vadhu", allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself inside her flat at Goregoan area of western suburbs.

A case under IPC sections 306 (abetment of suicide), 504, 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of IPC has been registered against Rahul, who is in hospital since Sunday.

According to the doctors attending on him, "he still has suicidal tendencies".

Police are also trying to ascertain whether Pratyusha, who hailed from Jamshedpur, was in financial trouble or had any dispute with Rahul. Some reports suggested that the actress was depressed over not getting roles in TV serials.

Her parents had alleged that their daughter took the extreme step as she was subjected to torture by Rahul.

A few of Pratyusha's friends, who claimed to have evidence against Rahul, had earlier recorded their statements with the police.

Pratyusha's maid, in her statement, claimed Rahul used to physically and mentally harass the TV actress, police said.